News

City of Light event is big on experience

15.7.2010

Jyväskylä is currently getting ready for the City of Light event to be staged 22.9.-24.10. The event focuses on quality lighting of the urban environment. It will again present a number of permanent illuminated locations, some of which are new and some completed previously. Further spice is added by exciting experimental illuminated locations and light installations.

Jyväskylä is the first place in Finland to have grasped the importance of new-style lighting in built-up areas. The results of this endeavour are shown in the CIty of Light events, but the real work takes place in the time between these happenings.

The city's achievements in the field of urban illumination have attracted international attention, too: in 2009 Jyväskylä won first prize in the international city.people.light awards.

Award for Excellent International Activity 2010 to Mr Kari Ström, Deputy City Engineer

20.3.2010

Kari Ström has persistently and successfully promoted international relations by utilising the City of Jyväskylä – The City of Light concept, which is one of Jyväskylä’s strategic development projects. Lighting improves safety and comfort during dark seasons. A harmonious public face for the city during the dark period of the year has a positive affect on citizens, local companies and tourism.

The City of Light has been built through collaboration between local companies, real estate owners and the city. To date, Jyväskylä has almost 50 attractive illuminated targets. The urban lighting in Jyväskylä is a crucial part of the city’s image. It is energy-efficient, decreases light pollution, enhances safety and improves the quality of life of citizens.

The persistent and fruitful work of the City of Jyväskylä and its partners in cooperation as a developer of urban lighting received first prize in the international competition city.people.light in October 2009 in Gwangju, South Korea. The competition is organised annually by the multinational electronics corporation Philips and the Lighting Urban Community International association. Jyväskylä received special acknowledgements for how, in addition to its use of lighting in large-scale town planning, it has been able to utilise lighting in smaller public premises as well, such as in parks where light comes into direct contact with humans.

With the award the City of Jyväskylä highlights annually its activities for internationalization, networking, mobility and international visibility. The award was presented to Kari Ström on Saturday 20.3.2010 at the City Library.

Mrs Marketta Mäkinen, Director of International Relations, City of Jyväskylä, phone +358 14 266 1559
Mr Kari Ström, Deputy City Engineer, City of Jyväskylä, phone +358 14 266 5139

The Trilogy of Light is the latest attraction in Jyväskylä, the City of Light

7.1.2010

From now on, the Trilogy of Light installation will provide light, sound and images to enliven the evenings of Jyväskylä's city centre throughout three seasons a year. The Trilogy of Light is the first light/sound/image installation in Finland to be included as a permanent part of the urban environment.

Jyväskylä Lyceum turns into a theatre

The Trilogy of Light, designed by the lighting designer Jukka Korpihete uses the façade of Jyväskylä Lyceum as its main stage, projecting video image and laser effects along with the façade lighting. The sound environment for the installation is produced with audio equipment placed along Asemakatu. Along the street environment an “audio alley” is created, leading to the Kompassi, the centrepoint of the pedestrian street.

Nature and the seasons show in the Trilogy

The Trilogy of Light consists of three ten-minute performances which change according to the season. In winter, the Winter Dream installation is performed on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 6 pm, 7 pm, 8 pm, 9 pm, and 10 pm. At the beginning of February, the winter installation will change to the Energy spring installation, and the autumn installation Elegy will premier in September 2010.

“With the three different parts of the Trilogy, I want to emphasise the link to the current season. The installation lives with the city residents through the different phases of the year,” says Korpihete.

Free to enter and enjoy!

Sound environment (exclusive to the Trilogy of Light): Juha T Koskinen
Multimedia implementation: Ville Heinonen, Alasinmedia Oy
Equipment and technology: Ideafix Oy
Producer: the City of Jyväskylä
The Trilogy of Light has been paid for by the properties in the Kompassi area, and the City of Jyväskylä. Sponsors include Jyväskylän Real Estate Services of City of Jyväskylä, the Upper secondary school of Jyväskylän Lyseo, Workers’ Educational Association (WEA) of Finland, Kiinteistö Oy Sikla, and Kiinteistö Oy Jyväskylän Torikulma.
Enjoy the Trilogy of Light free of charge. Come and experience it!

Further information:
Ari Peltola, City of Light Coordinator, tel. +358 40 511 0346, firstname.lastname@jkl.fi

Jyväskylä claims first prize in 2009 city.people.light awards

19.10.2009

Finnish city top in seventh contest to recognize application of light in urban well-being

The city of Jyväskylä in Finland has been awarded the first prize in the 2009 city.people.light awards, the annual competition organized by Philips and the Lighting Urban Community International Association (LUCI) to reward projects which demonstrate the contribution lighting can make to the well-being of those who live, work or visit a city or town.



At a ceremony October 19th. in Gwangju, South Korea, Mr. Kari Ström and Mr. Pauli Partanen, representing Jyväskylä were presented with the 2009 city.people.light first prize, in recognition of the city’s ‘City of Light’ project. This initiative set out to position the city as a forerunner in outdoor lighting, investing in the latest lighting technology to enhance its architecture. 



“We appreciated Jyväskylä’s great involvement in using all the potential lighting can offer to stimulate sustainable urban development,” says Iris Dijkstra, an independent lighting designer and president of the multinational city.people.light awards jury. “The City of Light project aims to build high-quality outdoor lighting in a purposeful fashion to highlight architectural gems, as well as to create optical guidance with light. At the same time Jyväskylä will also be able to reduce the energy consumption of its public lighting.”



Jury commented that Jyvaskyla constitutes an example of what an integrated approach of lighting can be. An approach where lighting is a major component of the city’s urban identity, and where concerns for energy efficiency, reducing light pollution and safety, build a lighting respectful of the quality of life of the city’s inhabitants. In Jyvaskyla, light is used to its full potential and the jury particularly appreciated the subtle use of lighting not only for major urban projects but also for smaller public spaces and parks where light is in direct touch with the people.